# After Effects in a Day Canonical URL: ## Overview #### Get Started with Animating Motion Graphics Learn to start using Adobe After Effects to animate photos, text, and video, and add music/sounds. You can even import files from Illustrator (such as a logo) or Photoshop and animate their elements. Get started in this 6-hour workshop, or dive in deeper with our 18-hour [After Effects Bootcamp.](/classes/after-effects) #### Recommendations - Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are helpful, but not required. If you’ve never used Photoshop, consider taking either our [Photoshop in a Day](/classes/photoshop-1day) or [Photoshop Bootcamp](/classes/photoshop-beginner) course. If you’ve never used Illustrator, consider taking either our [Illustrator in a Day](/classes/illustrator-1day) or [Illustrator Bootcamp](/classes/illustrator) course. - Design skills are helpful but not required. ## What you'll learn - Create animations with graphics such as logos and photos - Become familiar with the interface, timeline, and layers - Import a logo made in Adobe Illustrator and animate it - Create fluid, natural motion using easing - Add transitions such as fade-ins and fade-outs - Export a video of the final animation ## Curriculum ### Section 1 #### Intro to After Effects - The Project, Composition, & Timeline panels - Importing a Layered File with all its Layers Intact - Using Title Safety to ensure TV viewers can see the text #### Working with Keyframes - Animating in the Class Names - Previewing in real time - Adding Easing - Sliding Over the Entire Class List - Animating the Icons - Animating the “In a Day” Title - Adding Motion Blur - Trimming Off Extra Time #### Outputting to GIF - Exporting from After Effects - Making the Animated GIF in Photoshop - Reducing the Number of Frames ### Section 2 #### Noble Logo Animation: Anchor Points & Animating with Overshoot - Converting an Illustrator file from CMYK to RGB - Animating the black square to overshoot its final size - Changing where the rectangles scale from by moving layer anchor points - Setting layer in points using the In column - Keeping vector layers sharp as they scale up #### Noble Logo: Masking Layers & Parenting - Pre-composing layers - Hiding the letters before they animate using masks - Moving the entire logo away from the rising letters using parenting #### Noble Logo: Rotation, Fade-Outs, & Rendering - Adding anticipation keyframes before a major animation - Animating the Rotation property - Adding a fade to white using a solid color layer - How to find missing project files #### Optional Bonus: Preparing an Illustrator File for Animation - Resizing artboards & vector graphics - Setting up layers to individually animate elements in After Effects ### Bonus: HBO Intro Sequence #### Importing Flattened Files & Adding Easing - Importing a layered PSD as a merged file - Isolating HBO logo, Feature & Presentation text using masks - Creating fade-ins & fade-outs - Adding automatic easing to slow down portions of the animation #### Working with Numerous Layers - Familiarizing ourselves with the Photoshop layout: layers extending outside canvas bounds, guides - Scaling up each tile using a single null object and Parenting - Randomizing the order in which the photos animate in - Orchestrating the exit animation so the tiles fall down in diagonal groups #### Vector Layouts - Animating vector shapes using the Trim Paths feature - Continuous rasterization - More null objects: animating the three pay television content descriptors #### Putting It All Together & Adding Audio - Sequencing multiple compositions - Animating like an editor: overlapping shots & using blending modes - Adding audio to a composition ## Schedule - Jul 13, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Jul 28, 2026 – Jul 30, 2026 — NYC - Aug 24, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Sep 14, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Nov 9, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC - Dec 21, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC ## Instructors ### Jerron Smith — Program Director & Senior Instructor Jerron has more than 25 years of experience working with graphics and video and expert-level certifications in Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Illustrator along with an extensive knowledge of other animation programs like Cinema 4D, Adobe Animate, and 3DS Max. He has authored multiple books and video training series on computer graphics software such as: After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash (back when it was a thing). He has taught at the college level for over 20 years at schools such as NYCCT (New York City College of Technology), NYIT (The New York Institute of Technology), and FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology). Learn more about [Jerron Smith's](/jerron-smith) background and expertise. ### Stephen MacGillivray — Instructor Stephen teaches classes in the Motion Graphics and Video Editing Certificate programs. In addition to his work with Noble Desktop, Stephen teaches Nonfiction and Fiction Video Production, Motion Graphics, and Introduction to Film Production to grades 9-12 at LREI, a private K-12 school in New York’s Greenwich Village. In addition to teaching media classes, he runs his own production company, Indian summer Media. Through ISM he works as a freelance producer, specializing in documentary style films. Stephen holds a B.A. in Classics from Concordia University in Montreal and an MFA in Screenwriting from Columbia University. While an accomplished professional his most beloved project has been raising his two young daughters, Margaret and Grace. ### Michael Venzor — Instructor Michael Venzor is a multi-disciplinary filmmaker, video editor, and motion graphics artist with over twenty years of professional experience across television and short films, commercial projects, and educational media. His background spans the full post-production pipeline, including editing, animation, visual storytelling, and workflow design. A dedicated educator and mentor, Michael has spent years teaching video editing and animation to students of all experience levels, helping them build both technical proficiency and creative confidence. His teaching style emphasizes real-world workflows, thoughtful problem-solving, and clear communication, empowering students to develop skills they can immediately apply in professional environments. ## FAQ ### Do I need to bring anything to the class? No. We provide computers (Mac or PC) with After Effects installed. Choose your operating system at checkout. ### What computer do I need to run After Effects? After Effects will run on either Mac or PC. Make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements for [After Effects](https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/system-requirements.html) ## Pricing **Tuition:** $425